Founding of Holy Transfiguration Parish

Holy Transfiguration American Coptic Orthodox Church  was conceived in February of 2014, when His Eminence Metropolitan Serapion met with a few of the clergy of the Diocese of Los Angeles who helped found St. Paul American Coptic Orthodox Church, to start a similar pilot parish to meet similar needs in the Eastern Region of the Diocese. 

The target group consisted mainly of converts to Orthodoxy, as well as new catechumens, second generation Coptic Americans young and old (especially those who are starting their own families), and mixed marriages (faithful who have married converts to  Orthodoxy).

The First Divine Liturgy was celebrated on the Saturday after Pentecost (June 14, 2014) at 15330 Fairfield Ranch Rd., Chino Hills. 

For the next two and a half years, the congregation of roughly 40 families moved around Chino HIlls to prayed at various churches, schools, and community centers. After searching for over a year for a more permanent place to lease, God graciously lead us back to the same location of our first Divine Liturgy! As Zechariah the prophet wrote, “Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘I am returning to Jerusalem with mercy; My house shall be built in it,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘And a surveyor’s line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem’” (Zech. 1:16).

Our Core Values

  • Our worship is modeled after the heavenly patterns God revealed to His people in the Holy Scriptures. The central core of our worship service revolves around celebrating and partaking of Christ in the liturgical services of the Eucharist. 

  • When Christ formed the Church He called Her, “His Body.” He purposely did that so members would be so intimately connected to Him and each other that the movement, experiences, growth and struggles of each member would be felt and embraced by the whole Body. We want every member to be an active member of a growing and living union that is the Church. 

  • Being a member of the Church is meant to be a dynamic experience. We are called to pursue holiness and be imitators of Christ so that we may reflect His glory. God wants us to grow and become mature unto the “knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” We are committed to practicing the spiritual traditions and disciplines handed down to us by our forefathers as they struggled with the grace of God to be like unto Him, being transformed from image to image and glory to glory. 

  • The gospel instructs us to feed the hungry, to give drink to the thirsty, to clothe the naked, and to visit the sick and imprisoned, for in doing so we will be offering these unto Christ. We are committed to regular service opportunities in our immediate community so that the presence of Christ may be felt among all. A portion of our offerings and sacrifices will be dedicated to the poor. 

  • Christ commanded His disciples to go and make disciples of all nations, sharing the good news of salvation with the world. As a Coptic Orthodox Church in California, we are called to be a light to those around us, sharing the richness of our apostolic faith with love, humility, and boldness. Evangelism is not just about words, but about living a life that reflects Christ, so that others may encounter Him through our actions, prayers, and genuine witness.